Your feedback and complaints are important to us. When things go wrong, we want to put them right and to learn from our mistakes. We'll consider a complaint under the children’s social care complaints policy in line with the Children Act 1989.
The complaints team will also look at some complaints under the corporate complaints policy. We can talk to you, if this applies, after you get in touch with us.
Making a complaint
Usually the best people to fix your problem will be the team who have provided you with the service. Before you make a complaint you should talk to them about what has gone wrong, in case they can fix it quickly for you. Or you can ask the complaints team to do this for you.
However, if that has not been successful, or if you feel a formal complaint is more appropriate, the complaints team will:
- give you information about the complaints process and support you to make a complaint, or
- give you information about others who might be able to help
- keep you up to date as the investigation progresses, and talk you about timescales
You can make a complaint by writing to us at the address shown or by using our online complaints form.
We would also encourage you to phone us to discuss, if you wish. In all cases it will be helpful if you consider and tell us what you would like to see as a result of the complaint. Please include the names of relevant officers and teams if you have them, and also any dates or approximate dates.
Download our complaints leaflet for children and young people to help them understand how to tell us what we’ve got right or wrong
Complaints we are unable to consider
Sometimes there are other organisations who will have to handle the complaint, for example the NHS and schools, and if this is the case we will let you know. If you need to complain about the SEND home-to-school transport service you are receiving, then you will need to contact the provider directly. If you're not satisfied with the response, contact us.
We usually cannot consider complaints if:
- it relates to academies, free schools, colleges or universities
- there is an ongoing police investigation
- there is are ongoing, or impending court proceedings
- there is an ongoing, or impending tribunal
- there are ongoing or impending disciplinary proceedings
- it relates to services outside the local authority’s role
- it is already being dealt with by your councillor (a members enquiry) or a Member of Parliament
If you make a complaint which we find is outside the acceptance criteria, we'll let you know straight away.
Anything you tell us will only be shared with those who need to be told, to get to the bottom of things and put them right.